Andrew Cretin: Stepping Out & Launching Krugo

If you believe in yourself and what you’re doing, you can make anything happen. This is what Andrew Cretin held onto when he decided to take the leap to start his own technology company.

Now he and his friend, Kirk, are only a couple months away from launching Krugo, an innovative app designed to helps groups of friends build, share and book travel experiences centred around major events.

“Everyone has a favourite artist, musician or sports team they want to go see, and Krugo helps you make the most out of your trip,” says Andrew. “Through the app, you can build your trip any way you want. In addition to access to event tickets and accommodations, the app’s collaborative booking environment allows groups of users to save and share these important details. It also tracks purchases and accounts for split payments, making it so much easier to coordinate tickets and accommodations.”

As with most startups, one of the biggest challenges is finally taking that leap and deciding to commit 100 per cent to your business. For Andrew, that meant quitting his job and leaving behind a stable income. “If you’re not careful, you can become too comfortable working that same old 9 to 5 job,” admits Andrew. “Then you never take that risk of following your passion.”

Audacity YQR nurtures and celebrates entrepreneurship in Regina. Through this initiative, Andrew has made several important connections that have helped him succeed as an entrepreneur.

“Every small business faces similar challenges,” notes Andrew. “Being able to talk to someone who has experience with starting a business, and ask them any question you want, is incredibly valuable. These connections help you skip unnecessary failures early on, because someone else has already made those mistakes. It’s great to have access to a variety of perspectives from people who’ve worked in different industries.”